Combination lightning-arrester and fuse-block.



' E. B. FAHNESTOGK. COMBINATION LIGHTNING ARRESTER AND FUSE BLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19, 1907.

Patented Dec. 5

m, m e m ERNEST B. FAHNESTOCK, OF YORK LN.- Y.

communion LIGHTNING-ARRE'SYTER AND FUSE-BLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented-Dec. ,5, 1911.

Application fild February 19, 1907. 7 Serial No. 358,168.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, Emvnsr B. F AHNE- siocir, a citizen of the United States,. and resident ofihe borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New Yorl ,l1ave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Lightning Arrest'ers and Fuse- Blocks, of which the following is a specification accompanied by drawings.

This invention relates to fuse blocks which are preferably used in combination with a. lightning arrester for protecting telephones and other electrical instrun'ien'ts from damage bylightning or other heavy currents, but the invention'maybe utilized in any connecr tion in which it is found applicable.

The objects of the invention are tosecure a construction of combination lightning arrester and fuse block in which-the fuses are readily removable and the wire connections thereto made easily and which permitsof a cheap and easy method of construction.

' Another object of the invention which applies particularly to telephone uses when the device is used for the protection of a subscribers telephone, is to provide a construction which reduces the number of possible loose connections in the telephone circuit to a minimum.

Further objects of the invention will here inafter appear, and to-these ends the inventicn consists of a device for carrying out the above objects embodying the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts having the general mode of operation substantially as hereinafter fully described and claimed in this specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Figure 1 is a plan view of a.combination lightning arr-ester and fuse block embodying the invention; Fig.12 is a side elevation of the invention; Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional View on the lineQ-Q of Fig. 1; Fig.

i 4 is a detail sectional view of one-of the tubular fuses.

Referring to the drawings, represents a support which may be a board, preferably covered with fireproof material B, as-for instance. asbestos.

On this support A is suitably secured a, base C ,of insulating material, preferably porcelain, which carries the apparatus of the lightning arrester. and also serves as a support forthe tulu'llarfuses D. The tubular fuse D comprises the fuse any intermediate support.

wire E inclosed in a tube F of insulating material, as for instance papier mach, and

suitable means are provided for including the fuse wire E in the electric circuit.

The apparatus of the lightning arrester portion of the device is not shown in detail because any-suitable form of apparatus may be used which is located beneath a suitable metallic cap G secured to the base C. The insulating base C in this instance is provided with upright projections H, forming sup-- ports for the tubular fuses, and as shown, each projection is provided with a hole or aperture for the reception of one end of the tubular fuse, although any other suitable form of support may be provided by means 4 of which the tubular fuse is supported throughout any portion of its length instead of at the extreme end.

The fuse wires E are adapted to be connected in the line circuit,.w.hile the lightning arrester-portion of the device is adapted to be bridged across the line, and is provided wit-h a ground connection.-

In apparatus of the type described as heretofore constructed, means have been provided'for holding or supporting the tubular fuse at both ends, and for electrically connecting the fuse withsaid support-s, said supports for the fuse being then provided with binding posts or other means for connecting the conducting wires thereto. In accordance with the present invention, the entire support at one end of the fuse is done away with, and means are provided for connecting the conducting wire directly to' the end of the fuse without the intervention of The advantages of this construction are many, and reside in the fact that the cost of construction is greatly cheapened by doing away with one entire support, and also reducing to a minimum the number of possible loose connections in the circuit, which is particularly desirable in telephone circuits. In the old construction in which ,a support. was used for the end of the fuse, a loose connection might occur between the wire and the hindin; post, between the binding post and the support and between the support and the fuse." while according to the present construction but one possible chance for a loose connection occurs, and that between the. wire and the binding post, but this possibility is reduced to a minimum by utilizing an improved spring binding post P constructed in ac ordance with United States Patent Reissue No. 12642, granted April 23, 1907, to which I have permission to refer,

5 although the invention is not limited to the use of this particular binding post. This binding post P comprises the body member a, a spring member I), and the retaining .portion or resistant member 0, which is adapted to cooperate with the spring member I) to clamp a conductor between said members. In the'consti'uction shown, the spring member b is provided with a slot, which is adapted to inclose the resistant member 0, and in the operation of the device the spring member is forced toward the resistant member and the conducting wire is inserted in'the angles of said members, and is retained in position therein by the refractive force of the spring member.

The tubular fuse is provided at each end with metallic connectors, preferably in the form of plugs, having holes I extending therethrough in which the ends of the fuse wire E are soldered or otherwise connected. One' of these plugs J is preferably provided with a screw threaded tip K, by means of which the fuse may be secured i'n the support H, while the other plug L is preferably provided with a projecting portion O, by means of which the spring clip P may be secured thereto. In this instance the base of the spring clip is preferably provided with an aperture which is placed over the projection O, and t-he head of the projection is then upset to hold the spring clip in place. The plugs J and L are preferably secured in the tube F as by means of the pins Q. The tubular casing F is preferably 'to'provided with vent holes R on its under side, andnieans are provided for insuring that these-vent holes shall project downwardly toward the fireproof material B when the fuse is in position in the support 45 H. Any suitable means may be provided for this purpose, and I have constructed the screw-threaded tip .K with a flat side S adapted to enter a corresponding aperture T having a flat side provided in the angular connector U" which lies against the face of the support H and also extends horizontally along the base The aperture T falls opposite the hole in the support H so that when the tubular fuse is inserted in the support the tent holes R lie on the under portion-of the fuse and project toward the'fireproof material B. The scrcwsthreaded tip K projects through the aperture T in the connector U and is adapted to receive a binding nut V or other suitable device for retaining the fuse in position: I

Suitable plates or connectors ,VV extend "along the top of the base C beneath the cap G, and electrically connect with the appa- .ratus of the lightning arr-ester, and spring base C. the top of the base C also connects electr1- binding posts P are arranged in electrical connection with the angular connectors U and-the connectors IV. In this instance the body members a of the spring binding posts P are arranged betweenthe connectors W and U and held in position by the screws X countersunk in the under portion of the A connector Y extending along cally with the apparatus of the lightning arrest-er, and another spring binding post P is secured in electrical connection with the connector Y as by means of the screw X countersunk in the under portion of the base C. The line wires are connected to she binding posts P at the free ends of the tubular fuses, and to the binding posts P at each side of the lightning arrester apparatus, while a ground connection is made with the binding post P on the connector Ywhich leads to the lightning arrester.

The operation of the apparatus is like that of devices of this type in which a high potential breaks through the dielectric in the lightning arrester and discharges to the ground.

According to this construction the tubular fuse may be readily removed from the apparatus or adjusted therein by simply removing the nut V and withdrawing the fuse, and the fuse cannot be replaced in the support H in any other positionthan with the vent slots R projecting downwardly which-insures that the discharge from the rupture of the fuse will be against the fireproof material B and not in any other direction.

The tubular fuse in itself forms,

an improved article of manufacture which I may be applied in a number of different ways to apparatus of the type described or analagous apparatus. The tubular fuse may also be used in connect-ion with ordi nary fuse blocks, in which case, it may, if desired,'be'provided with a spring binding post at each end.

Obviously some features of this invention may be used without others and the invention may be embodied in -widely varying forms.

Therefore, without limiting the invention to the devices shown and described, and without enumeratingequivalents, I claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent the following:

1. The combination of a base, a lightning arrester mounted thereon, a support on said base, and a tubular fuse having one end base, and a tubular fuse having n end free In testiniony whereof I have signed this' and unsupported and the othei end mountspecification 1n the presence of two subscribed on said support and in QiGCtl'lCfli connec- IDg'WItHGSSQSL tion with the apparatus of the electrical de- ERNEST B. FAHNESTOCK. 5 vice, said unsupported free 'endof the fuse Vitnesse's:

being provided With means for attaching to OLIN A. FOSTER,

it directly an electrical conductor. I A. L. OBRIEN. 

